1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an animal trap, preferably used to trap rodents such as mice and rats. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved animal trap that includes a trap mechanism which can be set without risking bodily harm, a handle that is remote from a jaw of the trap mechanism that can be used to set the trap and release and discard the trapped, dead animal and an enclosure for the trap mechanism that has a bait container exterior to the enclosure for ease of baiting and reuse of the bait.
2. Description of the Related Art
Animal traps, and in particular mouse traps have been designed in many ways throughout the years. The most popular conventional, mouse trap includes a bar that is spring-mounted to a wood base, the bar and the base forming jaws in which the bar can be moved from a cocked position to a released position when the mouse touches the trigger arm. A larger version may be used for rats.
Unfortunately, there are many disadvantages connected with this type of trap. For example, there is a risk of a user hurting his fingers while trying to set the mouse trap in the cocked position. Additionally, the locking devices for such traps are very sensitive and apt to accidentally unlock and release the striker. Because of the open exposure of the trap mechanism, it is dangerous to use a spring-loaded type of trap in places where there are small children and pets that can accidentally trigger the trap and catch their extremities therein.
Additionally, many of the prior art traps are hazardous to the hands and fingers of the trap setter since it is usually necessary to place the hands and fingers in the path of the spring mounted jaw during setting. The catch mechanism can be unreliable or difficult to secure and the catch mechanism releases the jaw to snap shut before the person setting the trap can remove all his/her body portions from the path of the jaw. Often, a catch mechanism may be too sensitive to be usable or too insensitive to respond to rodent approaches or taking the bait on the trap.
Yet another problem associated with conventional type traps is that the mechanism and the method used to trip or release the striker are unreliable. Typically, downward pressure, from the animal's head is required to cause the release of the striker. In practice, much of the bait can be consumed without providing the necessary pressure to cause the tripping of the release mechanism.
Another problem associated with conventional type traps are that rats and mice are especially attracted to peanuts and peanut butter. Attempting to attach these type baits to a conventional trap's bait station is difficult, messy and hazardous.
Another problem frequently encountered with known traps, is that the release of the trapped animal from the trap is usually a messy, unsanitary, and difficult process. Normally this process involves grasping the jaw (or jaws) which killed the animal and moving the jaw to release the animal from the trap. This entails the unsanitary act of touching the jaw in the vicinity of the dead animal and sometimes even requires touching the animal itself. Since rodents are noted carriers of germs and disease, it is completely undesirable to require a trap user to manipulate the trap in any way which places the user's hands in the area of the captured rodent. Moreover, because a captured rodent is usually severely injured, such a trapped animal usually presents a gory sight that is not well-received by a squeamish user. Thus, it would be desirable in an improved mousetrap to include a means for substantially shielding a dead, trapped animal from the user's sight and to enable the user to remove the captured animal without requiring the user to touch the dead animal or the trap areas in the immediate vicinity of the animal.
Another problem associated with known mousetraps is that the animal may approach the trap from different directions, thus limiting the effectiveness of the killing mechanism. Thus it is desirable to provide an animal trap which also limits an animals approach to a single deadly path for advancing upon the bait, so that all attempts to snag the bait will result in a captured animal.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for an improved animal trap that can be set easily without hazard to the user, that shields a captured animal from sensitive eyes while still providing an indication that the trap has sprung, and that allows disposal of the captured rodent in a sanitary way using a handle that is remote from the trap area holding the animal. Moreover, such an improved trap is needed which limits animals to a single deadly path for advancing upon the bait and which also addresses the other problems noted above. In a relatively inexpensive fashion, the present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
The patent literature includes a host of animal traps, particularly for use in trapping rodents, see for example:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,399,965 to Kent describes a rat trap having a runway which is removably fitted to a cage and motor actuated means controllable by a platform located in the runway for forcing the rat into the cage when the rat occupies the platform, for automatically closing the cage so as to confine the animal therein and operable to re-set itself after each actuation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,442,252 to Coleman describes an animal trap wherein after one animal has been caught, the animal caught automatically resets the trap to catch another animal, ad infinitum. The trap includes a plurality of compartments, one of which is provided with inlets and outlets and is provided with an animal controlled trip mechanism for closing the doors, the other compartment being in the form of a cage into which the animal passes after having been entrapped in the first compartment, and there being a mechanism associated with the outlet door which leads into the cage to prevent the animal from reentering the first compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,466,520 to Beauchamp describes a spring loaded trap which can be attached to a barrel or box which when activated by the weight of the animal immediately dispatches (kills) the animal and automatically drops him into the barrel or box.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,501,463 to Matejewski describes a trap for mice, rats, or other animals, and that has an automatic trap which is spring operated and which can catch a number of animals in succession without injuring them. The trap uses of a spring operated rotary sweep which is released by the weight of the animal when it steps upon the bait treadle and which operates to sweep the-animal through the cage door. The trap is provided with an automatic locking means for rendering the parts inactive when the maximum number of animals has been caught.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,755,947 to Baker describes a trap having a casing having an entrance, a movable platform located within the casing, a striking element connected to be actuated by the movement of the platform, an ejecting means located in rear of and operated by the striking element to receive and throw out an animal which has been struck by the striking element, and means operable by the striking element for automatically setting the trap after the ejecting means has been operated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,368 to Ward describes a revolving type animal trap with means for automatically resetting the trap after operation and the automatic dispatch and disposal of the animal from the trap.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,169,783 to Allen describes a rodent trap that is adapted for automatic, repeated operations to kill and eject a number of rodents in succession from the trap after an initial setting.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,256,048 to Evans describes an automatic resetting animal trap designed to strike the animal, knock it away from the trap and immediately reset itself automatically, and which delivers a blow upon the animal in a sweeping downward and horizontal direction, thus reducing any tendency for the animal to be carried into the trap to clog the operative mechanism thereof, while at the same time incorporating additional means for facilitating the ejection of the animal from the trap.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,416,481 to Hollenbeck describes an animal trap that can be permanently baited and can be easily cocked in the open position to trap the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,684,553 to Schroeder describes a rodent trap that initially captures and subsequently kills the rodent and which does not use bait and wherein the rodent enters the trap due to curiosity and in so doing releases a closure for entrapping the rodent therein without initially harming the rodent. A spring jaw is arranged to strike and kill the rodent when the rodent attempts to escape through an opening in the trap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,264 to Souza describes a repeating animal trap for rodents that has a trapping passageway into which animals are attracted. A trigger within the passageway is tripped by animal pressure and this sets in motion a reciprocatory sweeping mechanism which sweeps the animal from the passageway into an adjacent collecting compartment. The reciprocatory mechanism then returns to its initial position. The walls of the passageway effectively prevent the animal in the collection compartment from pushing its way back into the passageway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,294 to Langli describes a rodent trap wherein a spring-loaded striker is maintained in a raised, loaded position by a release lever connectable with the striker through a projection and lug arrangement. A bottom opening is provided in the trap which receives the bait therein. The release lever is placed forwardly of the bait and in the path of movement of the rodent. The striker is mounted for arcuate movement. When a rodent engages the release lever, the striker and the release lever disengage thereby permitting the striker to rotate in an arcuate path to strike the rodent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,624 to Schmidt describes a mousetrap that has a handle that is remote from the trapping mechanism so that the mousetrap may be set for use without endangering one's hands or fingers. The mousetrap includes a cover that serves to protect humans from the trapping mechanism, shield the captured animals from sight, define a single pathway for an animal to advance upon the bait on the mousetrap. The handle protrudes from the cover which encloses a spring-biased jaw frame, trigger, and catch member of the mousetrap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,512 to Bodker describes a trap for catching mice and rats that includes a standard mousetrap mounted within a two-part housing. The standard mousetrap includes a tab which projects through a slot an arcuate upper wall of one portion of the housing, allowing one to cock the trap from the exterior of the housing. The first portion of the housing is pivoted to the second portion of the housing so that the housing can be conveniently opened to dispose of a mouse or rat caught in the trap. The housing shields the cocked trap so as to enhance the safety thereof while allowing one to empty the trap without running the risk of touching the mouse or rat caught therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,411 to Phillips describes a trap system that includes a housing in which a conventional spring-loaded trap is mounted. The housing defines a rodent access through which the rodent enters the housing. Rodent bait secured to the trigger of the trap entices the rodent to travel to and activate the trap. Upon activation, the trapping bar of the trap pulls the activation indicator into the housing to indicate that trap activation has occurred. The trap system includes an obstructor that hinders inadvertent activation of the trap during shipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,601 to Dail describes an animal trap in combination with an enclosure in the form of a plastic bag inside a cover. The enclosure is contoured so as to fit within the cover and has an open rear end to admit an entry therein of the rodent. When the rodent enters the enclosure and touches a pad end of the trigger member, the spring-loaded striker is released from a catch position and kills the rodent within the enclosure by entering the lower portion of the cover through two vertical slots without penetrating the enclosure. The enclosure is then pulled from the cover by the user and disposed of. The bag can be of the colored plastic type, so the user will not even see the mouse inside of it.